First, this article employs the practice of referring to Richard III (who was INVITED to mount the throne of England by the Three Estates of the Realm) as ‘USURPER’ – a term which it does not employ in relation to Henry VII – who seized the English throne in battle.

However, the main claim of the article is that a family tree roll which it claims once belonged to John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, contains ‘an approximate date for the death of Edward V and disproves the idea that either of the Princes might have survived’. It states that

Edward V’s medallion reads

Edward first-born son of King Edward and Elizabeth

“In iunie tute sine liberis decessit”

In June safely without issue deceased in childhood (my translation)

Richard, Duke of York’s medallion reads

Richard second son of King Edward and Elizabeth

“Etiam decessit sine liberis”

Also deceased without issue in childhood

Various commentators on the article have already pointed out that the author / translator of the Latin phrases (David Durose) has misinterpreted the inscriptions relating to the so-called ‘princes’ (the illegitimate sons of Edward IV and Elizabeth Widville). The comments by Marie Walsh, Ibphilly and others are entirely correct. There is no use of the term ‘childhood’ in the Latin texts, and Durose’s reading of the first Latin text as beginning ‘In iunie’ is incorrect. It actually says ‘In iuvê’ – an abbreviated form of the Latin ‘in iuventute’ (= ‘in his youth’).

But even more significant is the error behind Durose’s claim relating to the ownership of the roll. In its present form it cannot possibly have belonged to John de la Pole, Earl of Lincoln, because the medallion which refers to Lincoln himself records his death in battle against Henry VII (in 1487). Even more significant, however, is that fact that the medallion which refers to Lincoln’s younger brother, Edmund de la Pole, Earl of Suffolk, records HIS execution by Henry VIII. Thus the role must date from AFTER 1513!

If you wish to verify any of the statements I have made, you can find images of the roll here: